Forsaken by the Moon Goddess novel Chapter 80

Benedict

When we arrived back at my pack, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that only a few individuals had left. Good riddance, as far as I was concerned.

The ones who remained, made an effort to get to know Sloane. She, being the amazing woman she is, spent the afternoon with the pack, talking to them about the alliances she’s already signed with multiple Alphas, as well as some of her ideas for changing things in her new pack.

“Of course, those things may change in the future, once Benedict and I figure out how to make things work between us,” she said, smiling at me.

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out together,” I said, kissing her for everyone to see.

I had Bethany stay with her while I met with Ellis. After talking with Scarlet and with Sloane, I knew it was time to demote him. I need someone I can trust to have my back and watch this pack when I’m away. Ellis has never been that person. I just didn’t know it until recently.

“Ellis…” I begin.

“That whole thing yesterday was just a big misunderstanding. I’ve rectified the patrol schedule, and Eric is on regular duty,” he says, as if this makes up for everything.

“It should never have been an issue in the first place, Ellis. You had no right to put Eric on double patrols. Short of him threatening a pack member, or seriously injuring someone in sparring training, it’s excessive. If this was about not being able to sleep with his daughter, it’s an abuse of power, power that you don’t technically have because I haven’t officially made you my Beta.”

I glare at him.

“I’ve been very concerned about what I consider multiple lapses in judgement lately, Ellis. You never once mentioned what my mother was doing to Sloane and Slade Hartwell, even though you knew I didn’t agree with the bullying that was going on at school. You questioned my choice of partner when it was Sloane, and now this. I’m starting to wonder if you’ve ever had my back, Ellis.”

“Benedict…”

“It’s ALPHA Benedict, Ellis, and I’m stripping you of your Beta title, effectively immediately.”

“You can’t do that!”

“I can and I have. I will not put someone into a Beta position who I cannot trust and I don’t trust you, Ellis. You can accept your demotion, or you can leave the pack.”

“Where the fuck am I supposed to go?” he yells.

“That’s up to you,” I say, remaining calm.

“You’re fucking kidding me, right? For HER? You’re demoting me for HER?” he roars.

In an instant, I have him across the room and against the wall, my hand around his throat.

“SHE has a name. Alpha Sloane. Do not disrespect her again. And it’s not just for her that you’re being demoted. I just told

you, I don’t trust you. I don’t trust you to have this pack’s best interest at heart. I don’t trust you not to abuse your power. This is about YOU not being worthy of the title of Beta, Ellis, not about Sloane.”

“Get off me,” he growled, trying to shove me aside. “I’m giving you a choice, Ellis. But if you cross me again, if you cross Sloane, I’ll make that choice for you, and you won’t like the choice I make.”

Since his father was away, I had to call and tell him that I’d demoted his son. He wasn’t happy about it but given that he’d been my father’s Beta for nearly two decades, he understood.

My father waited until after I met with Ellis and called his father before taking his leave. He told me that if I needed him to return, to call him. vist j:o:b:n;i;?b/co;m But I know it’s important for him to go find his fated mate and try to make amends for what happened all those years ago. I’m Alpha now. It’s my job to keep the pack running smoothly, with or without a Beta.

After he left, I met with Travis, my intended Gamma. He’s seventeen and a year away from taking over his Gamma position. I let him know what happened with Ellis and that now is the time for him to come clean if he knew anything about what was going on with my mother and the Hartwells or if he has any issues with me being mated to Sloane.

“I knew there was something, but honestly, Alpha, I’m not in either of their grades and I’m working to be Valedictorian of my class, so I don’t have a lot of time for hanging around at school. I can change that next year if you want me to keep tabs on Slade Hartwell.”

“Hopefully, that won’t be necessary. Do you have any issues with me being mated to Sloane Hartwell?”

“No. She seems nice enough. I haven’t spent a lot of time with her. I don’t think many people have. She kind of keeps to herself from what I’ve seen.”

“I need to be able to trust you, Travis. I need to know that when I’m not here, that you’re watching and managing this pack as if it were me. I’ll be assessing your abilities as a Gamma over the next year. Please know, if I find you lacking, like I did with Ellis, I’ll find a replacement for your position.”

“If you find me lacking, Alpha, I’d appreciate it if you’d have a conversation with me before discarding me as unworthy. I’d like to be a good Gamma. My father has trained me well, I think, so if there’s something I’m not doing that I should be, I’d prefer to have open communication about it so I can correct it.”

I smile. “And THAT is the right attitude. Thanks, Travis”

“You’re welcome, Alpha.”

Sloane stayed until after dinner and then I walked her to our shared border.

“Is it tomorrow yet?” I ask, pulling her hips against mine.

“I wish. Is it bad that I miss having time with just the two of us to talk?” she asks.

“No. I definitely miss it and it’s only been a day. But it just feels like there’s so much going on. It helps me to talk things through with you,” I tell her, pressing my forehead against hers.

Scarlet. Her wolf is covered in blood, but I don’t think most of it is hers.

Her head snaps in the direction of the packhouse and she snarls, taking off. I follow her, hoping she knows where Sloane is. When I finally see her, my stomach sinks.

She must have been in wolf form at some point because she’s naked. But now, she’s in human form and she’s being held by two men while a third is trying to force is mark on her. 2

This isn’t just about taking over the pack. This is about marking my mate. This is about taking what’s mine.

Marrok snarls viciously, leaping at the man who is trying to take what’s ours. We tumble end over end, and he shifts back into his wolf form. I turn, ready to face off against him when another wolf, an Alpha, lands on my back, pinning me to the ground.

I hear a high-pitched screaming sound behind me, but I can’t see if it’s Sloane. Marrok begins fighting, trying to get away, to get to our mate, but the wolf on top of us is another Alpha. The wolf in front of us is his Beta. He lunges, sinking his teeth into the side of Marrok’s neck.

Marrok snarls, helpless to defend himself as the Alpha bites down on the other side of his neck.

The two begin tugging in opposite directions, trying to rip our throat apart. I feel the skin and flesh begin to tear as warm blood begins leaking down our neck and into our throat. Someone slams into the Alpha, ripping him off me, but he takes a chuck of Marrok’s neck with him, leaving a bloody, gaping hole. The Beta, seeing his Alpha has been attacked, thrashes his head, trying to take Marrok down.

Marrok shifts his body, using his Alpha strength to stand and pounce on the Beta, pinning him underneath us, but still he doesn’t let go of our neck. Marrok begins snapping at him, trying to get him to release us, but he continues to yank on our neck, tearing the flesh of our throat.

I can feel Marrok losing strength. He’s losing a lot of blood very quickly from the two wounds in his neck.

‘Disembowel him,’ I growl at my wolf.

This is the man who tried to mark my mate. Even if it kills me, he dies.

Marrok pulls on what’s left of his strength and pushes himself up enough to lift a back leg over the Beta’s exposed stomach. With one violent swipe, his claws find the soft spot of his belly.

The Beta releases us as he howls in pain. Marrok stumbles aside, looking to make sure the injury will kill the Beta. Then, he looks around, trying to find Sloane.

Stumbling and unable to maintain his footing any longer, he falls to the ground. I feel his consciousness leaving me, his body pulling the shift back to our human form. I try to find Sloane. I just need to know that she survived, that she’s okay. But the world is blurry and then it goes dark. The last thing I hear is my name as if from far away.

“BENEDICT!”